1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper processing apparatus wherein papers such as paper money and the like are discriminated while they are conveyed, and a conveyance path for a paper is altered in accordance with a discrimination result, and more particularly an apparatus for processing paper money, which is incorporated into an automatic teller machine (hereinafter, referred to as an ATM) for executing transactions such as receipt of money, payment, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a paper processing apparatus incorporated into an ATM, there has been known a so-called BRU (Bill Recycle Unit) in which a plurality of sorts of paper money thrown by users of the ATM are discriminated and received with sorting, and when a payment from the ATM to users is performed, the payment is performed using the paper moneys received with sorting.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the earlier developed BRU.
The ATM, into which the BRU is incorporated, further incorporates thereinto a coin handling apparatus for handling coins, a touch keyboard through which users of the ATM operate the ATM, a reader for reading a cash card, a reader for reading a passbook, and the like. Users of the ATM stand at the right side of the FIG. 11 to throw paper moneys and make other performance. Hereinafter it happens that the right side of the FIG. 11 is referred to as a "front side" and the left side of the FIG. 11 is referred to as a "back side".
The BRU 900 is provided with a 1,000-yen bill stacker 901, a 10,000-yen bill stacker 902, a 5,000-yen bill box 903 and a fetch and receipt mechanism 904. The 1,000-yen bill stacker 901, the 10,000-yen bill stacker 902, and the 5,000-yen bill box 903 receive paper moneys with sorting for each sort of money. The 5,000-yen bill box 903 serves as a buffer for temporarily stores 5,000-yen bills. The 1,000-yen bill stacker 901 and the 10,000-yen bill stacker 902 accommodate paper moneys by the fetch and receipt mechanism 904, or paper moneys are fetched from the 1,000-yen bill stacker 901 and the 10,000-yen bill stacker 902 by the fetch and receipt mechanism 904. 1,000-yen bills and 10,000-yen bills accommodated in the 1,000-yen bill stacker 901 and the 10,000-yen bill stacker 902 are utilized for a payment of the paper moneys from the ATM to users. 5,000-yen bills stored in the 5,000-yen bill box 903 are collected without being utilized for a payment of the paper moneys.
At the upper of the back side of the BRU 900, there is provided a reject box 905 for accommodating shape abnormal bills. The reject box 905 is provided with a 5,000-yen bill chamber 9051 for accommodating 5,000-yen bills via the 5,000-yen bill box 903.
At the upper of the front side of the BRU 900, there are provided a throw box 906 movable between two positions upward and downward, and a fetch mechanism 9061 for fetching paper moneys from the throw box 906. When the throw box 906 is located upward, a paper money is thrown by a user from the exterior of the ATM into the throw box 906, or alternatively, a paper money is fetched by a user to the exterior.
When the throw box 906 is located downward, a paper money, which is to be transferred from the ATM to a user, is accommodated into the throw box 906, or alternatively, a paper money is fed by the fetch mechanism 9061 from the throw box 906 into the BRU 900.
The throw box 906 is partitioned into two spaces by a partition plate 9062. One of the two spaces is used to accommodate paper moneys thrown by users, and another is used to accommodate, of paper moneys fed from the throw box 906 into the BRU 900, a paper money which is abnormal in its shape, and the like.
At the back side of the BRU 900, there are provided two detachable cassettes 907 each having a paper money chamber 9071 and a reject chamber 9072. At the bottom portion of each of the cassettes 907, there is provided a fetch mechanism 908 for fetching paper moneys from the cassette 907. And at the top portion of each of the the cassettes 907, there is provided an accommodating mechanism 909 for causing paper moneys to be accommodated into the cassette 907. When a manager of the ATM collects paper moneys from the ATM, paper moneys stored in the two stackers 901 and 902 are transferred to the paper money chamber 9071 of the cassette 907. When a manager of the ATM supplements paper moneys to the ATM, paper moneys stored in the paper money chamber 9071 of the cassette 907 are transferred to the two stackers 901 and 902. A bill involved in an abnormality in its shape and the like, which are detected during a transfer of paper moneys from the cassette 907 to the two stackers 901 and 902, are accommodated into the reject chamber 9072. Incidentally, of the two cassettes 907 the cassette of the right side is a spare cassette, which is used when an amount of paper moneys stored in the two stackers 901 and 902 exceeds a tolerance capacity of the cassette of the left side, in case of collection of paper moneys.
At the somewhat upper side from the center of the BRU 900, there is provided a discriminating unit 910 for detecting a paper money to perform a discrimination including a decision of sorts of money, a determination as to authenticity of bills, etc. in accordance with a result of the detection.
The BRU 900 further comprises conveyance rollers 911, a DC motor 912, and a conveyance belt 913. The conveyance belt 913 is driven by the DC motor 912 supported by the conveyance rollers 911 to convey paper moneys from some portion to another portion inside the BRU 900, and also to permit paper moneys to pass through the discriminating unit 910. Details of a conveyance path will be described later.
The conveyance belt 913 may convey a paper money even if the paper money somewhat slants with respect to a conveyance direction. In association with this feature, the discriminating unit 910 is so arranged that it may discriminate also a paper money which is conveyed at a slant.
In the BRU 900, there is provided a gate 914 for each branch point of the conveyance path. The gate 914 alters the conveyance path. FIG. 11 shows only a typical gate 914 for each branch point, and omits other gates 914.
At the bottom side of the BRU 900, there is provided an overall control unit 915 for performing an overall control of the BRU 900. The overall control unit 915 also serves to read a discrimination result of the discriminating unit 910, so that the gate 914 is driven in accordance with the discrimination result to alter the conveyance path, which will be described below.
FIG. 12 is a typical illustration useful for understanding a method of altering the conveyance path by the gate 914.
FIG. 12 shows an example of the branch point of the conveyance path. A paper money, which has been conveyed from the left side of the figure along a conveyance path 9130, is conveyed on a conveyance path 9131 directed to the lower side of the figure along a conveyance roller 911, or on a conveyance path 9132 straight directed to the right side of the figure.
The gate 914 is of a wedge-like configuration, and is disposed between the conveyance path 9132 directed to the right side of the figure and the conveyance path 9131 directed to the lower side of the figure in such a manner that the tip of the gate 914 is oriented toward the branch point. The gate 914 rotates on a rotary axis 9142 by a gate magnet 9141 which is controlled by the overall control unit 915 shown in FIG. 1.
When the gate 914 is controlled, as shown with a solid line, in such a manner that the tip of the wedge is oriented toward the upper side, the paper money conveyed from the left side of the figure is conveyed downward along the gate 914. On the other hand, when the gate 914 is controlled, as shown with a dotted line, in such a manner that the tip of the wedge is oriented toward the lower side, the paper money conveyed from the left side of the figure is conveyed to the right side along the gate 914.
Again referring to FIG. 11, there will be explained the BRU 900.
The BRU 900 has four operation modes (a money receipt mode, a payment mode, a supplement mode and a collection mode). Upon receipt of a designation of the operation modes from the exterior, the overall control unit 915 performs an overall control for the BRU 900 in accordance with the designation.
In the money receipt mode, a user of the ATM throws paper moneys to the ATM. The paper money thrown into the throw box 906 by the user of the ATM is fed into the inside of the ATM, discriminated, sorted and separately accommodated in the two stackers 901 and 902 and the 5,000-yen bill box 903 in the associated sorts, respectively.
In the payment mode, a payment of paper moneys from the ATM to users is performed. A paper money to be paid to a user of the ATM is fetched from the stackers 901 and 902 and is discriminated to be accommodated in the throw box 906.
In the supplement mode, a manager of the ATM supplements paper moneys to the ATM. Paper moneys stored in the cassette 907 are fetched therefrom and discriminated to be accommodated into the stackers 901 and 902.
In the collection mode, a manager of the ATM collects paper moneys from the ATM. Paper moneys stored in the stackers 901 and 902 are fetched therefrom and discriminated to be accommodated into the cassette 907.
FIGS. 13-15 are views each showing a BRU which is the same as the BRU 900 of FIG. 1. An arrow indicated by a heavy line shown in FIG. 11 denotes a conveyance path for paper moneys in the money receipt mode. Likewise, an arrow indicated by a heavy line shown in FIG. 13 denotes a conveyance path for paper moneys in the payment mode; an arrow indicated by a heavy line shown in FIG. 14 denotes a conveyance path for paper moneys in the supplement mode; and an arrow indicated by a heavy line shown in FIG. 15 denotes a conveyance path for paper moneys in the collection mode.
First, an operation of the BRU 900 in the money receipt mode will be explained referring to FIG. 11 hereinafter.
The throw box 906 is first located upward. When paper moneys are thrown into the throw box 906 by a user of the ATM, the throw box 906 is translated to the lower position. At that time, the paper moneys thrown into the throw box 906 enters the lower side of the partition plate 9062 of the throw box 906. Those paper moneys are taken out one by one by the fetch mechanism 9061, and are conveyed to the left side of the figure by the conveyance belt 913 to pass through the discriminating unit 910. The discriminating unit 910 discriminates paper moneys during a conveyance of the paper moneys. The paper money passed through the discriminating unit 910 is conveyed upward and arrives at a branch point P1 of the conveyance path. When a result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a true note of a 1,000-yen bill or a true note of a 10,000-yen bill, a conveyance path directed downward from the branch point P1 by a gate disposed at the branch point P1. On the other hand, when the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a true note of a 5,000-yen bill, a note which is abnormal in shape, etc., a conveyance path directed upward from the branch point P1 by the gate disposed at the branch point P1.
When a paper money is conveyed downward from the branch point P1, the paper money is conveyed along the arrow F1 to the right side of the figure and arrives at a branch point P2. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a true note of a 1,000-yen bill, a conveyance path directed to the stacker 901 for 1,000-yen bill is selected by a gate disposed at the branch point P2 so that the paper money is stored in the stacker 901 for 1,000-yen bill by the fetch and receipt mechanism 904. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a true note of a 10,000-yen bill, a conveyance path directed from the branch point P2 to the right side of the figure is selected by the gate disposed at the branch point P2 so that the paper money is stored in the stacker 902 for 10,000-yen bill by the fetch and receipt mechanism 904. When a paper money is conveyed upward from the branch point P1, the paper money is conveyed along the arrow F2 to the right side of the figure and arrives at a branch point P3. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a 5,000-yen bill, a conveyance path directed to the 5,000-yen bill box 903 is selected by a gate disposed at the branch point P3 so that the paper money is stored in the 5,000-yen bill box 903. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a note which is abnormal in shape, etc., a conveyance path directed from the branch point P3 to the right side of the figure is selected by the gate disposed at the branch point P3 so that the paper money abnormal in its shape, etc. is stored in the upper side of the partition plate 9062 of the throw box 906. Thereafter, the throw box 906 is translated to the upper position, so that the paper money abnormal in its shape, etc. stored in the throw box 906 is returned to the user. The 5,000-yen bill stored in the 5,000-yen bill box 903 is transferred by a mechanism (not illustrated) to the 5,000-yen bill chamber 9051 of the reject box 905.
Next, an operation of the BRU 900 in the payment mode will be explained referring to FIG. 13.
The overall control unit 915 controls the fetch and receipt mechanism 904 so that a predetermined sort of money and a predetermined number of sheets of paper money are taken out one by one from the stackers 901 and 902 and conveyed by the conveyance belt 913 via a junction P4 to the right side of the figure. Thereafter, the paper moneys are conveyed upward, and then conveyed to the left side of the figure to pass through the discriminating unit 910. The paper money passed through the discriminating unit 910 is conveyed upward and arrives at a branch point P5 of the conveyance path. When a result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a bill abnormal in its shape, etc., a conveyance path directed to the reject box 905 is selected by a gate disposed at the branch point P5, so that the bill abnormal in its shape, etc. are stored in the reject box 905. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a normal bill, a conveyance path directed upward from the branch point P5 is selected by the gate disposed at the branch point P5, so that the paper money is conveyed upward and then conveyed to the right side along the arrow F3 of the figure to be stored in the throw box 906. Thereafter, the throw box 906 is translated upward so that the paper money stored in the throw box 906 is paid to the user.
Next, an operation of the BRU 900 in the supplement mode will be explained referring to FIG. 14.
Here, there will be explained an operation of the BRU 900 in case of no use of a spare cassette. It is noted that an operation of the BRU 900 in case of the use of a spare cassette is similar to an operation which will be described below.
Paper moneys stored in the cassette 907 are taken out one by one by the fetch mechanism 908, and conveyed by the conveyance belt 913 along the arrow F4 to the right side of the figure and further conveyed along the arrow F5 upward and then to the left side of the figure to pass through the discriminating unit 910. A paper money passing through the discriminating unit 910 is first conveyed upward and then downward, and arrives at a branch point P6 of the conveyance path. When a result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a bill abnormal in its shape, etc., a conveyance path directed to the cassette 907 is selected by a gate disposed at a branch point P6 so that the bill abnormal in its shape, etc. are stored in the reject chamber 9072 of the cassette 907. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a normal paper money, a conveyance path directed downward from the branch point P6 is selected by the gate disposed at the branch point P6. Thereafter, in a similar fashion to that of the money receipt mode, paper moneys are stored in the stackers 901 and 902 in accordance with a sort of money.
Next, an operation of the BRU 900 in the collection mode will be explained referring to FIG. 15.
In similar fashion to that of the supplement mode, there will be described an operation of the BRU 900 in case of no use of a spare cassette.
Paper moneys stored in the stackers 901 and 902 are taken out one by one by the fetch and receipt mechanism 904, and conveyed by the conveyance belt 913 via a junction P7 to the right side of the figure. Thereafter, the paper moneys are conveyed upward, and then conveyed to the left side of the figure to pass through the discriminating unit 910. The paper money passed through the discriminating unit 910 is conveyed upward and arrives at a branch point P8 of the conveyance path. When a result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a bill abnormal in its shape, etc., a conveyance path directed to the reject box 905 is selected by a gate disposed at the branch point P8, so that the bill abnormal in its shape, etc. are stored in the reject box 905. When the result of discrimination by the discriminating unit 910 is concerned with a normal bill, a conveyance path directed downward from the branch point P8 is selected by the gate disposed at the branch point P8, so that the paper money is stored in the cassette 907.
It is noted that all of the conveyance velocities of the paper moneys in the above-mentioned four operation modes are the same as one another. Further, it is noted that a certain time is needed for a discrimination of paper moneys by the discriminating unit 910. Thus, the discriminating unit 910 performs a discrimination of paper moneys utilizing a time since a paper money is detected until the paper money arrives at the branch point of the conveyance path. When the paper money arrives at the branch point, the conveyance path is changed over in accordance with a result of discrimination.
In the supplement mode and the collection mode, a large amount of paper moneys such as 1000 sheets at a time is treated. Thus, it is desired that a higher speed for the conveyance of paper moneys is established for a high speed processing of the BRU.
However, increasing the conveyance velocity involves a reduction of the time since a paper money passes through the discriminating unit 910 until the paper money arrives at the branch point. Thus, there is a fear that this brings about too short time for a discrimination to complete the discrimination before the paper money arrives at branch point.
Further, in general, a detection of paper moneys by the discriminating unit depends on a passage speed of the paper money passing through the discriminating unit 910. Consequently, increasing the passage speed of the paper money caused by the increase of the conveyance velocity of paper moneys may bring about a variation of the detection of paper money. Thus, it is difficult to expect an exact discrimination based on a result of detection of paper moneys.
Such a problem is a general problem, but not a problem raised restrictively on the ATM, on a paper processing unit in which a paper is discriminated while being conveyed, and a conveyance path is altered in accordance with a result of discrimination of the paper.